[2019] Rebecca Rhynhart: Navigating the Great Recession as Treasurer and Eradicating Corruption as City Controller

Philly Who?

In January 2018, Rebecca Rynhart was sworn in as the first woman City Controller in Philadelphia history. Before that, she served as Mayor Kenney’s Chief Administration Officer, and during the Nutter administration, she served as Treasurer and then Budget Director. This year, she is seeking re-election to continue her work.

In this episode, you’ll hear how Rebecca initially worked in Finance on Wall Street. After years of seeing governments being taken advantage of by the private sector, she quit - and took a huge pay cut - to enter public service. That decision to leave Bear Sterns in the spring of 2008 turned out to be pretty lucky, as the entire firm collapsed 3 weeks later.

She would become Treasurer of Philadelphia at the height of the Great Recession. And, as you’ll hear, she had to make some tough calls to get the city through it.

Eventually, she craved the ability to affect more change for Philadelphia. So, she ran for office and took on an incumbent. Despite heavy odds, she won.

This Episode is supported by Crossbeam.

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